You’ll need up to an ounce (28g) of worsted weight yarn per bulb, in two or three colors: bulb and base for incandescent and LED, bulb and one or two base colors for CFL. Your hook size actually matters here far more than in my usual patterns: you want a hook that makes a tube 5 sc around the right size to fit a pipe cleaner inside, easily but not loosely. For me this was an E/4 hook (3.5mm) but I crochet rather loosely so you may want an F/5 (3.75mm). I made all three bulbs with the same hook.

For the CFL, on that note, you need two pipe cleaners (assuming they are about 12″/30cm long). For all the bulbs you need some stuffing and, optionally, something with weight to put in the very base of the bulb and help it stand up. I have used pebbles, beads, coins, and tangled necklace chains for this purpose.

Stitches and techniques assumed: magic ring, slip knot, chain, single crochet and its decrease (standard or invisible), needle join specifically in the second stitch, slip stitch by itself or to attach new yarn, double crochet, sewing up openings, weaving in ends, sewing pieces together

Taught in pattern: Front post double crochet, though in brief. For alternative photos visit Mon Petit Violon.

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Materials: The barber pole lip balm cozy shown was made with embroidery floss and a size 1 steel hook (2.75mm), the darker lip balm cozy was made with fine yarn (weight class 2) and a D hook (3.25mm), and the candy stick was made with craft thread and a size 1 steel hook (2.75mm). The remaining pieces were made with worsted weight yarn: the barber poles with an F hook (3.75mm), the left-hand pen case with an H hook (5mm), and the right-hand pen case with a K hook (6.5mm).

Stitches and techniques assumed: magic ring, slip knot, chain, single crochet and its decrease (optionally: invisible decrease), slip stitch, attaching new yarn with slip stitch, half double crochet, weaving in ends, sewing up openings.

The pattern points you here in particular for links to pages on the needle join and running stitch closure.

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This pattern includes an improved write-up of the little big Pi pattern available on the blog. As with that pattern, big little pi’s legs are stitched directly onto openings left in the top bar. Directions are given to leave the top bar unstuffed until the legs are finished, to aid in bending the bar (and first leg, when stitching the second) out of the way.

The pointed foot and “horn” of the top bar curve through a combination of increasing or decreasing and a method I developed to collapse pairs of rounds into single rounds on the inside of the curve. The stitching takes some paying attention, but it isn’t difficult and all stitches are common (very common, in fact: slip stitch and single crochet).

Note that the plump foot ends with a 10-stitch round. This will close without any difficulty if you use a running stitch through the front loops, but may be a bit large for some methods.

Stitches and techniques assumed: magic ring, slip knot, chain, slip stitch, single crochet and its decrease (or invisible decrease), attaching new yarn with slip stitch, stitching in front loop or back loop only, sewing up openings.

More action shots may be seen on the blog.

Pattern extra: With less than an ounce (28 g) of yarn and instructions from the blog, you can make a tau from this pattern.

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Contents of pattern: recommended hooks, starting with floss, working with floss, stuffing floss items, finishing stuffed floss items, finishing flat floss items, magic chain, stars, ornament balls, pine cones.

Stitches and techniques assumed: double magic ring, slip knot, chain, slip stitch, single crochet and its decrease or invisible decrease, stitching in back loop only, weaving in ends

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Note that if you crochet left-handed, you should make a small adjustment to the pattern instructions: when you add the chain-loop branches, begin at the base of the tree instead of the top. Your hook should still enter the stitch pointing toward the base of the tree, as written.

Provided the bottom is stitched before the sides, there is no sewing in this pattern. It requires about 1.5 oz (43 g) worsted weight yarn, 2/3 of which is for the branches, an F/5 hook (3.75mm), and a small amount of stuffing. It adapts well to other weights of yarn, and I have made trees with the same method using sport weight (class 3) and fine (class 2) yarn, the latter with a D/3 hook (3.25mm).

Stitches and techniques assumed: magic ring, chain, single crochet and its decrease, stitching in back loop only, weaving in ends, slip knot, slip stitch, attaching new yarn with slip stitch.

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Stitches and techniques assumed: slip knot, chain, slip stitch, single crochet, half double crochet, double crochet, weaving in ends, attaching new yarn with slip stitch, magic ring.

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If you want to stiffen your fruit ornaments, I recommend visiting this page on stiffening options. The apple pin was made with a steel hook size 4 (2.00mm) out of embroidery floss and stiffened with cornstarch.

Stitches and techniques assumed: magic ring, slip knot, chain, slip stitch, single crochet, half double crochet, double crochet, triple crochet, skipping stitches, stitching around a chain, working on both sides of a chain.

Diagrams are given for lark’s head knot, half square knot, and overhand knot.

The patterns in this pdf are also found in Fruit Ornaments. Fruit Ornaments also includes the patterns in Sliced Fruits.

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If you want to stiffen your fruit ornaments, I recommend visiting this page on stiffening options. The lime slice earrings and apple pin were made with a steel hook size 4 (2.00mm) out of embroidery floss and stiffened with cornstarch.

Stitches and techniques assumed: magic ring, slip knot, chain, slip stitch, single crochet, half double crochet, double crochet, triple crochet, skipping stitches, stitching around a chain, working on both sides of a chain, color change, whipstitch.

Diagrams are given for lark’s head knot, half square knot, and overhand knot.

Note that this pdf consists only of the patterns in Sliced Fruits and Whole Fruits. Whole Fruits includes the leaf patterns.

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Stitches and techniques assumed: magic ring, slip knot, chain, slip stitch, stitching into chain ring, single crochet, chaining out and stitching back along chain, skipping stitches.

If you want to stiffen your snowflakes, I recommend visiting this page on stiffening options.

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